Athyrium plant named ‘Pewter Lace’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Athyrium niponicum  var.  pictum  plant characterized by the pewter tone to the leaves, silver over grey green, with a pink rachis. This coloring persists from new growth to mature.

Botanical classification: Athyrium niponicum var. pictum.

Variety denomination: ‘Pewter Lace’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Athyriumniponicum var. pictum, of the family Woodsiaceae, which originated as achance sporling found by Dan Heims.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the clones exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original selection.

This plant is characterized by the pewter tone to the leaves, silverover grey green, with a pink rachis. This coloring persists from newgrowth to mature.

Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture as done in Canby,Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions cometrue to type and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows a three-year-old Athyrium niponicum var. pictum‘Pewter Lace’ in a container in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Athyrium niponicumvar. pictum selection based on observations of 2½ year old specimensgrown in a 3-gallon container in a cool greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart.

-   Botanical name: Athyrium niponicum var. pictum.-   Variety denomination: ‘Pewter Lace’.-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Terrestrial, rhizomatous fern.        -   Hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 5 to 8.        -   Size.—62 cm wide and 40 cm tall.-   Stem: None above ground, rhizomatous. Rhizome is typical of Athyrium    nipponicum-   Foliage:    -   -   Type.—Compound.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate. Twice pinnate. Pinnule is lanceolate to            oblong.        -   Size.—Grows to 50 cm long and 26 cm wide. Pinnules may be            from 3 to 17 cm long and from 1 to 3 cm wide.        -   Margins.—2-pinnate. Pinnule is lobed and incised.        -   Apex.—Acuminate, pinnatifid.        -   Base.—Rounded to truncate.        -   Texture.—Dry, papery.        -   Petiole texture.—Glabrous but with chaffy scales (Greyed            Orange 172A), mainly along the base but occasional            elsewhere.        -   Petiole length.—15 cm.        -   Petiole color.—Between Greyed Purple 187A and Brown 200A.            Old leaves are Yellow Green 146A with a burgundy line down            the center (same color as younger leaves).        -   Leaf color.—Topside: Overall look is a purplish gray green            (Closest to Yellow Green 147A with burgundy tones) with a            white overlay (between White 155B and Greyed Green 196D)            everywhere except near rachis. The main vein of the pinnae            is burgundy, Greyed Purple 187A, bleeding to light burgundy            (Greyed Purple 187D) on each pinnae where there is a white            overlay. Bottom side: Closest to Yellow Green 147A. New            spring leaves: Closest to Brown 200A.-   Fruiting body: Same as all Athyrium niponicum var. pictum.    -   -   Type.—Sporangium.        -   Fertility.—Fertile.        -   Sori.—Shape — Covered with a superior confluent indusium,            elongate, opening on one edge, the edge facing the end of            the pinnae. Location — Dorsal, on every pinnule, mostly on            one side of the vein. Where on both sides it curls around to            the other side near the tip. Size — Varies with the pinnule            size, usually 1 to 2 mm. long. Immature — Brown Group 200D.            Sporulating — Brown 200B.-   Diseases and pests: Some Athyrium are prone to rust. No diseases    have been observed on plants grown commercially in Canby, Oreg.    Athyrium generally have no pest problems.

COMPARISONS

The instant plant resulted from a selection of Athyrium niponicum var.pictum. A. niponicum, as described in A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plantsby the American Horticultural Society (1996), is a “Deciduous fern withcreeping red-brown rhizomes and 2- or 3-pinnate to pinnatifid,lance-shaped, silvery gray-green or mid-green fronds, to 14 in (35 cm)long, with red-purple midribs. . . . Segments are lance-shaped to oblongor ovate, sometimes with notched or lobed margins . . . [var. pictum]has fronds with purplish red stalks and silver-gray segments, sometimesflushed purple-red.”

The instant plant differs from A. niponicum var. pictum ‘Ursula's Red’(unpatented), in the background color of the leaf being a deeper yellowgreen color (Yellow Green 147A rather than 146A).

Compared to A. niponicum var. pictum ‘Silver Falls’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.12,803), the instant plant has a deeper yellow green color to the leavesand more pink coloration in the rachis and pinnae.

1. A new and distinct Athyrium niponicum var. pictum plant substantiallyas shown and described, characterized by the pewter tone to the leaves,silver over grey green, with a pink rachis, said coloring persistingfrom new to mature growth.